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Wow that is really nice. I can't wait to get mine. As a former Cooper S owner, can I ask what the ride of the GTI is like relative to the Cooper S (which wheels did you have?)? Heck, can you just give us a comparison of the two cars from the perspective of power, handling, ride, etc.
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OK, I'll have to be quick as I'm at work
Power -
The obvious difference between the two is in the delivery. The Golf suffers from a slight amount of turbo lag when accelerating from low revs - it's only for a split second but the Mini just pulls hard from everywhere in the rev range. With the whine from the supercharger and the low down driving position you really feel you're going faster than you are in the Cooper S - but this constant noise can be come tiring on longer runs.
The Golf feels like a limo by comparison - 100mph feels more like 50mph and the acceleration is certainly there, it feels so civilised.
Handling -
There's no escaping that the Golf is a bigger, heavier car and as such doesn't quite have the poise of the Cooper S, but it will hold it's own and I would say is better engineered. The adaptive steering takes a bit of getting used to, especially after the Cooper S, as it can be a little too light at low speeds.
Ride -
My car is fitted with the standard 17" wheels, so I can't comment on the bigger 18"s. The ride in the Golf is far superior to the Mini. The Mini's big wheels and run-flat tyres meant it was a bit of a bone-shaker over motorway bumps and although well-damped it used to pogo a lot over ripples.
The Golf handles the bumps far better and is a much more relaxing place to be if you're planning a long journey.
HTH,
NookZ

Hi,
Thanks for editing the link, I thought it was a newbie restriction
I actually went for Steel Grey because it looked good in the 5 door shape. Also, it shouldn't attract too much attention from plod.......
The car's a little light on options (it was getting bloody expensive!) - only leather interior and armrest CD changer.
I'm not actually sure it needs much more than that, although I should have got the rear parking sensors for the wife
I am going to upgrade the ICE system at some point as the standard one is a bit rough - I had a Harman Kardon system in the Cooper S which rocked and the RCD500 is crap in comparison.
Don't have anymore pics at the moment as I was driving around until it got dark over the weekend Will get some more over Easter.
Cheers,
NookZ

Hi,
Just thought I'd post a quick message to say hello.
Picked up my Golf GTi over the weekend and I am deeply impressed.
I traded up from a Cooper S (I needed more space for kids etc..) and was worried that the Golf would not be as much fun to drive -
Well, it's not as fun to drive as the Mini....it's better! It's a more complete car, it has all the qualities of the Mini but with none of the down-sides. I can't wait to get back out in it again!
Here's a pic -
Cheers,
NookZ
Edited to show picture for you - your link didnt work